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Subject: FAQ:PdoxDOS: Printing Pictures 2001.02.05 Version 1.0 (2001.02.05) written by Michael Kennedy <info@kennedysoftware.ie> edited by Mike Irwin ==================== 0. Introduction ==================== This FAQ provides information for those wishing to print images from Paradox for DOS. Its principles should be good for any DOS program. If you have items that should be added, please contact the author. The printer used here is an HP Series II, but the same approach can be used with any printer: you just ned to obtain the printer programming manual that will tell you the various Escape codes that you need to know. Alternatively, many printers will be switchable into an "HP Emulation" mode. If not, "Epson emulation" is also frequent, and Epson manuals are fairly easy to get hold of. ------------------------------- 0.1 Legal Info and Disclaimers ------------------------------- Paradox is a trademark of Corel. Borland Database Engine (BDE) is a trademark of Inprise. The information provided in this FAQ is provided "as is" and is not warranted in any way. The information provided in this FAQ is not endorsed or authorized by Corel or Inprise in any shape, form, or manner. The editors claim NO responsibility for ANY illegal activity regarding this file, or as a result of someone reading this file. You may distribute this file, as long as the copies are complete, unaltered, and are in electronic form only. ------------- 0.2 Feedback ------------- Please send feedback in a Corel Paradox newsgroup or the news:comp.databases.Paradox newsgroup to any of the FAQ Team mentioned in the "FAQ: FAQ FAQ" document. Please specify the FAQ name and section number the comment applies to, if any. ============================== 1. General ============================== Many years ago, I implemented an app in PDoxDOS 4.5 which prints Graphs, Reports, BitMap Logos, etc. And sometimes it prints ALL of these on the SAME SHEET - which was a bit tricky as far as I recall. And to standard LaserJet-II printers. The app is still run every day - at a very large multi-national... Basic point - it's no great problem to do it - and it required no special printer add-ons... It involved getting the bit-map file(s) saved as a print-image, with inbuilt PCL codes. These files are just a bunch of standard HP-LJ Esc-sequences - millions of them. These had to be manually changed a little (internally) to prevent page-ejects, etc. Then, when the Paradox report is ready, these modified bit-maps were sent to the printer, together with the standard reports, and all printed perfectly on the same sheets, etc. ============================== 2. Details ============================== Starting with a BMP image that you wish to include in a report, save the BMP file in Print form - same as redirecting a raw printout of it into a file. Pretend that it's going to a Laser-Jet II, because the LJ-III driver may be a little different from the following - though the same approach applies. The LJ-II file needs to be tweaked slightly. We did some of this manually, and wrote a few small utilities also to automate some of it. This is a "Binary/Hex" file, and whoever digs into it will need to be familiar with the Escape sequences sent to a LJ-II. There's no magic to the solution: just understand the HP commands, and tweak the file accordingly. Here's the changes I made/make... Ec 45 [Reset] : E <--- out !! Ec 26 6C 30 53 [Simplex Mode] : &l0S <--- out !! Ec 2A 72 30 46 [Current Orientation] : *r0F <--- out !! Ec 26 6C 30 4F [Set Orientation] : &l0O <--- out !! Ec 26 6C 31 48 [Upper Tray] : &l1H <--- out !! Ec 26 6C 32 36 61 34 64 31 65 34 35 46 : &l26a4d1e45F <- remove the "2 6a" bit (Set Paper Size) Ec 2A 74 33 30 30 52 [ ? ] : *t300R Ec 2A 62 30 4D 0D [Graphics Mode] : *b0M? Ec 2A 70 31 30 33 59 [Set Y co-ord] : *p103Y Ec 2A 70 32 31 35 58 [Set Y co-ord] : *p215X Ec 2A 72 31 41 [Start Graphics] : *r1A ......... etc ........ Ec 2A 72 42 [End Graphics] : *rB 0C [Form Feed] : ? <--- out !! Ec 45 [Reset/Page-eject] : E <--- out !! A bit tricky in a Hex editor; easier in a program. Note that some commands are REMOVED, and the file shrinks accordingly. Some Hex editors can't shrink nor expand files... (This ain't the same as REPLACING them with Nulls, Spaces, etc !!!). When printing, send the Page contents from Paradox into a disk-file - as usual, and copy this to the printer port. This should not have Page-ejects at the end - obviously. Then send (copy) the LJ-II logo/signature also. Send a Form-Feed at the end, or Esc-E, or whatever. All will print correctly on the page !. If you want to position the graphic at a specific (variable ?) location of the page, etc, etc, you'll need to insert suitable LJ commands, or ensure that the PDox report/graph sets up the page acccordingly so that the graphic falls into the desired location. Paradox Community Newsgroups |
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